EP: Anton Ewald – “A” (2013)

While some of the hardcore Schlager fans complained about this year’s Melodifestivalen, as always there were plenty of great songs competing to represent Sweden. Robin Stjernberg made history as the first Andra Chansen qualifier to win Melodifestivalen in an electrifying final. His fairytale story might have ended on a lukewarm note in Malmö, but it’s easy to forget another Andra Chansen qualifier that managed the rare feat of finishing top 5.

Yes, Anton Ewald made his debut as a Melodifestivalen singer this year with the breakout hit of the season “Begging”. It wasn’t his first time on the MF stage though, debuting as a dancer with Velvet in 2009, as well as dancing & choreographing both Danny Saucedo’s “Amazing” and Andreas Lundstedt’s “Aldrig Aldrig” in 2012. Busy guy.

I thought he was a surefire qualifier in his semi-final, but lost out to two songs he would later defeat in the final. Before that, he earned his place there in second-chance round Andra Chansen with a much more polished performance. He might not have won, but the exposure of a Melodifestivalen Final is highly-prized in Sweden, and with the dust and glitter settling after Malmö’s Eurovision, it’s time for some new material.

Live in Malmö: Eddie Razaz, Stockholm Syndrome, Pay-TV

I thought it would be a bit odd for this blog to have a rare day off on actual Eurovision day, so you can hear all about my night out instead. I’ll add some photos when I’m back home.

I felt a bit lost yesterday, Friday was the first day since I’d arrived in Malmö that I hadn’t gone to a show in Malmö Arena. To calm the shakes, we went to the EuroCafe in Folkets Park for a Schlager blowout. After a very quiet start to the night, things quickly picked up when Eddie Razaz took to the stage.

A Melodifestivalen 2013 alumnus, Eddie hasn’t quite got the back catalogue of some of the veteran MF acts, but he really got everyone going with his 3-song set. Of course I think he’s gorgeous, and that might have been what got me to the Cafe last night, but he was a great singer! He performed “Warrior” (I think that’s the name), and a new midtempo song, as well as his MF2013 entry “Alibi” which didn’t sound any less anthemic in the small venue.

Song: Demi Lovato – “Give your heart a break” (2012)

Let’s get this straight, I’m still not entirely sure who Demi Lovato is. I know she’s an X-Factor USA judge, and I rightly suspected I’d seen her in post-High School Musical Disney misadventure “Camp Rock”, which I only saw because I had a LoveFilm subscription and a fascination for the Jonas Brothers. I suppose I just presumed she was one of the several generations of Disney graduates, like Hilary Duff, Selena Gomes and so on.

I guess it doesn’t really matter, this is a genre of celebrities that struggles to make a lot of impact in the UK. But it seems that Demi is getting a UK push this year, courtesy of a song from a recent hit from her third studio album “Unbroken”. As a song, “Give your heart a break” is a bit of a genre-straddler, starting off with sharp stabbing strings, but quickly making way for a more pop-rock sound, with a thin sheen of synths laid over it all. Not easy to pigeonhole its sound anyway.

I suppose Kelly Clarkson would be an easy/lazy comparison, even if Demi’s voice doesn’t quite have Kelly’s power. The song itself is pretty strong though, a reassurance to a potential love interest that things will work out if he takes a chance on her. It’s quite sweet really, and has some effective lyrics.

It’ll be interesting to see if she manages a big breakthrough in the UK. I suspect she’ll get a hit with this in a quiet time of the year, but struggle to capitalise on it, much like Alexis Jordan a few years ago. But for now it’s a decent pop song, and perhaps I shouldn’t over-think it.

Song: Justin Bieber ft Nicki Minaj – “Beauty and a beat” (2012)

Not sure what I think of Bieber. Well to be honest, the most exposure I’ve had from his impact on pop culture is the relentless and tedious trolling hate that everyone seems so keen on spewing. Did I miss something? Well good on him for not imploding under the weight of all this hatred and just carrying on.

For the record, I really loved “Baby”, and quite liked “Somebody to love”. I haven’t really heard much else, and was losing any interest I had when “Boyfriend” – lead single from second album “Believe” – came out. A bit too urban for me, even though that didn’t seem like the guiding sound of the album from what I could tell.

Perhaps this album hasn’t gone completely to plan, since “Believe” is getting a deluxe edition with some new songs, including this hit-chasing dance collaboration with serial feature-credit Nicki Minaj and her gigantic ass. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it does a fine job of a catchy pop song with up-to-date production.

OK his voice is a little one-tone, but it’s not a bad tone to begin with. In that respect it’s a little identikit, but so what? The video is refreshingly underproduced too. Well of course it’s not the impromptu home video it pretends to be, but it’s a lot of fun, and Bieber certainly looks like he’s having a great time. Nicki does her usual, which I still rather like. Who else could sing “Buns out, WIENER” with something resembling a straight face?

That song title might well be awful (I haven’t decided yet), but he’s provided something I suspect the UK single-buying public has been waiting for since “Baby”, an unashamed pop hit from an artist who hasn’t entirely translated his US success yet.